Kitsilano
Kitsilano stretches from the English Bay waterfront to 16th Avenue, and from Burrard to Alma Street , it is known for its young, active population, its endless beaches, spectacular mountain views, and its proximity to shopping, restaurants and the downtown core.
Did You Know?
Until the 1950's, members of Vancouver's Sikh community lived in the blocks of Cypress and Cedar (now Burrard Street), near the sawmills on False Creek where many worked.
Ever notice that the streets named after trees - i.e. Elm, Birch, Cypress don't always progress in alphabetic order? They were intended to be, but the draftsman who drew up the original street map neglected to alphabetize the list he was given.
One of the area's first non-native settlers, Sam Greer, lived on Kitsilano Beach from 1882 until 1890. He lost his land title dispute with the CPR, who had been given the land in 1885. Greer actually went to jail for shooting and wounding the sheriff who came to evict him.
Craftsman-style houses were built in Kitsilano during the 1910 to1912 boom period and are characterized by decorative brackets, exposed rafter ends, mock trusses in the gable ends, expansive low-pitched gable roofs, and a rich variety of finishing materials and textures.
Tatlow Park, at Point Grey Road and MacDonald, was the location of one of the first movies filmed in Vancouver; Robert Altman's 1960 film That Cold Day in the Park.
The totem pole outside the Maritime Museum at the foot of Cypress Street was carved by Mungo Martin and is a replica of one given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1967. It was the tallest totem pole in the world at the time.
The Kitsilano Branch of the Vancouver Public Library is the oldest branch in the province. It opened in 1927.